Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Cuyar
Hi Joel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
To begin, I’d like to inform you that although I now own a gym, I am by no means an athlete, and I have never been an athlete. I’m just a regular guy that has discovered serving people and my passion for health and fitness.
In early 2012, at the age of 33, I had a diabetes scare. I was over 220 pounds (not the heaviest I’ve ever been). Like a lot of people, I struggled with my weight my whole life and truth be told, I still do. Frustrated with my low energy, lack of self confidence and concerned for my health, I decided I was going to start taking my health more seriously.
My Wife’s father was a body builder in his younger year’s and had been asking me, for quite some time, to join him in the gym. Ready to make a real change in my life, I agreed, and my fitness journey began!
I started by joining my wife’s father in the gym, 2 to 3 times a week. He would drive to my house and pick me up (my accountability partner) just to make sure I’d go. A few years passed and I continued to go (now on my own) at least 3x’s a week. Going to the gym became a habit, part of my weekly routine and I felt better about myself. I was getting stronger, gained some lean muscle mass. The problem now was, I still wasn’t where I wanted or needed to be. In those years I managed to lose close to 10 pounds at nearly 210lbs.
In 2017, my wife, Tabitha, and I had our first trip out of the country for our 10 year wedding anniversary. I decided I wanted to lose some weight to look good for our trip. I had no idea what I was doing but I decided I would start, by adding some cardio to my routine. We signed up for some races in our area and I began training on our treadmill at home in between my days at the gym. By the time we left for our trip, I managed to lose almost 20 pounds. Those 20 pounds put me on a path that changed my life!
At the time, I didn’t know anything about exercise science or nutrition but I knew I wasn’t where I wanted to be, My wife had suggested to me that I use a calorie counting app, so I did. Not knowing anything about nutrition and clean eating (at the time), counting calories helped me to learn the value of food. I continued to exercise, making better food choices and changed my eating habits. By 2018 I had managed to lose almost 60 lbs. I was down to 152lbs!
In early 2020, as we all know, unforeseen circumstances affected the whole world! With some extra free time on my hands, my wife and I started learning about healthy eating and meal prepping. I discovered how much I enjoyed making meals at home and learning new exercises to help pass the time. I was taking daily walks on my lunch break at work, going for weekly runs and we were blessed to have a full gym at home to work on resistance training..
In my free time, I was learning about nutrition and new exercises. Exercise was, honestly, the only thing that kept me sane. I started to enjoy it so much, it was all I talked about at work and around my friends (it beat talking about what was going on in the world at time). I was even helping my co-workers, friends and family with meal planning and exercise routines. I found my new identity, the guy who loves fitness and helping people with their own journey.
My journey has certainly been a hard and bumpy road. As I mentioned earlier, I still struggle with my weight. I have managed to keep my weight under 165lbs. Has it been perfect? No way! Has it been easy? Heck no! Has it been worth it? Absolutely! I’m stronger, faster and healthier than I’ve ever been. What I’ve learned in this journey is, the key to success is, consistency, dedication and hard work. It’s not an easy journey, it’s a life long journey that is totally worth it in the end.
Fast forward to 2023. I realized that I have found my passion! Fitness and nutrition. I knew I had a calling to serve our community and help people like me who struggle with weight loss and healthy eating. Soon there after, I decided to study and receive my NASM Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach Certification.
At the time my wife was encouraging me to take my passion to the next level. We visited a Fit Body Boot Camp for the first time. We loved the environment and the excitement the coaches had. We enjoyed the challenging, yet fun workouts, as well the culture and community they built. This inspired us to open an our own Fit Body Boot Camp in Simpsonville, SC.
It’s now 2025 and we are almost 9 months into owning our own Fit Body Boot Camp and it has been an incredible and rewarding experience changing lives everyday. What could be better than that? 🙂
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not.
-In my fitness journey I have struggle with healthy eating, making it to the gym and staying dedicated to my fitness goals,
-For many years I struggled with body dysmorphia. No matter what goals I reached, how much weight I lost, how much muscle I gained, etc… was never good enough. In my head I was still the 220lb person. I have learned to love who I am and accept I am and not perfect. The reward is, I am the healthier, stronger, better version of myself, that I can be proud of 🙂
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
From my early teen years, I played drums in church, I sang in the church choir and participated in several talent competitions. In my late teen years I joined a band as a singer. I played in bands until my early thirties. I was the guy that rocked out on stage, blessed with a loud voice and hoped for the day I’d be on stage sharing my talent in front of thousands of people.
Fast forward several years later, I am now a gym owner and fitness trainer. My wife and I are the proud owners of Simpsonville Fit Body Boot Camp. We specialize in changing lives and helping people with their own fitness journey’s. Of all of the really cool things I have experienced and accomplished in my life, this is what I am most proud of. It is my passion, it’s what I look forward to everyday.
What set us apart from other gym’s is that we have a true passion for people, Our coaches and I are here for our members. We specialize in making sure our members are 100% comfortable with themselves and the exercises they are doing. We are the gym for anybody and everybody. We meet every person where they are at in their journey. Whether it is day one or day 1000, our coaches and I are here to guide them with their fitness and nutrition.
From our Website:
At Fit Body Boot Camp, we specialize in 30-minute weight loss boot camps designed to challenge your body and deliver life-changing results in a positive, supportive environment.
Our fitness classes in Simpsonville, SC, combine High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with active rest, providing a full-body workout. To guarantee success, we pair each session with personalized nutritional guidance and personal accountability.
The key to your fat loss journey is our signature Afterburn workouts, the encouragement from our world-class coaches, and an easy-to-follow nutrition plan to help you keep the weight off for good.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice is:
– If I can do it, anyone can
– Be the most incredible, amazing version of yourself, that your proud of
– Fitness takes time. It’s a journey and doesn’t happen overnight
– Exercise is only one part of the journey.
– Nutrition (healthy eating lifestyle) is equally as important as the exercise itself
– It takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice
– You don’t know you can do something until you try
– Always appreciate your body and the amazing things it can do for you
Pricing:
- $39.99 A Week
- $160 A Month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fitbodybootcamp.com/locations/simpsonville-sc/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitbodybootcamp/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/simpsonvillefbbc
